


Friend

by AussieWriter1



Category: The Blacklist (TV)
Genre: F/M, May be a trigger, involves one character being drugged, please take care
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-29
Updated: 2014-11-29
Packaged: 2018-02-27 09:45:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2688185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AussieWriter1/pseuds/AussieWriter1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on rumour/spoiler for late Season 2. Liz has been kidnapped and Red goes in to save her. On the way, he discovers something about their relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friend

**Author's Note:**

> So this is based on the spoiler that we're going to see a young Liz when someone tries to get memories from her after she's kidnapped. This is what I saw when I read that. *Spoiler for this fic, it doesn't include flashbacks or young Liz. Anyway, enjoy!

Red kept his head down and his movements stealthy as he manoeuvred through the cluttered warehouse. The shallow breathing of Dembe had moved away some minutes ago, indicating the man taking a position on the further side of the space. 

As he stepped closer to the centre of the dark, eerie and dusty building, the mumblings of a familiar voice became evermore audible. 

“I don’t want to-“

A second, harsher tone joined the first. 

“Come on Elizabeth. Don’t you want to know what happened that night?”

Silence for a few moments, and Red paused, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. A whisper floated through the air.

“Yeah.”

“Then you have to work with me, dear. Now think back, and tell me. What do you see through the flames? What can you hear? What do you feel? "

Anger coursed through the criminal’s body, filling him with a passion he’d felt few times before. The man was harming Lizzie, making her dig up dangerous, hurtful memories. Red pressed forward. Just a few more steps …

As he ducked behind a large crate, Red peered out to observe the disgusting scene before him.

Elizabeth was sprawled out on a old, rotting hospital bed, eyes-closed, with her arms and legs tied down using rope. Beside her was table covered with a large assortment of dangerous-looking drugs in small, dirty bottles. On the other side stood an older man, about 70 if Red had to guess, dressed in a tattered medical getup. He was peering down at Liz through half moon glasses, holding a syringe with a sickly-green liquid contained within. 

Just as Red was about to pounce forward, Liz mumbled again.

“Red.”

Freezing, Red felt his blood run cold. She couldn’t remember, it wasn’t possible.

“Red?” The syringe man looked thoughtful. “Raymond ‘Red’ Reddington? Is that who you see?”

Not appearing to register the man’s words, Liz continued.

“Red? Is that you? Are you there?”

Despite desperately wanting to scream ‘YES’, Red forced himself to stay silent. He needed to know if she knew, if she remembered. He had to.

Frustrated with the lack of an adequate response, the man spat out his next few words.

“Who is he to you? Your father?”

The words were powerful enough to pierce whatever trance Liz was in. She shook her head violently, making the entire bed shake.

“Well then who is he?” The man almost screamed, his eyes bulging slightly.

“My friend.”

Relief and wonder shot through Red in equal measure. He had believed for so long that he didn’t have friends, and didn’t need them. Perhaps he’d been wrong.

Before he could contemplate further, the man leaned down and extended his arm, clearly intending to press it into Liz’s neck. 

Springing into action, Red felt himself moving faster than humanly possible.

But it wasn’t fast enough. The needle poked the profiler’s neck, and the liquid began squeezing from it.

Suddenly, a click sounded through the air, followed by a deep voice.

“Drop it.”

Dembe emerged from the shadows behind the man, with his handgun pressed against the back of his head. The man jumped, dropping the syringe which fell and smashed.

Red, on the opposite side of the bed, thanked Dembe with the slightest nod before cupping Liz’s face with his hands.

“Lizzie? Lizzie, can you hear me?”

More incoherent mumbling was the only response Red received. Reaching over the bed, Red grabbed the man’s collar and yanked him closer.

“What did you give her?”

The man cackled. “You’ll never save her in time!”

Red had never felt the urge to kill someone more in his life. But he knew that the pleasure of exacting punishment on this man belonged to the women lying between them.

“Dembe, call Joseph. Get him to transport this, filth, to the Safe Box immediately. Then bring the car around, quickly.”

“Yes sir.”

As Dembe grabbed the man’s shoulder and briskly escorted him away, Red quickly untied Liz. Slipping his hands gently under her increasingly sweaty body, Red lifted the profiler and held her to him as he set off towards the door.

“Red?”

Not trusting himself to look down, Red simply continued whilst replying.

“Don’t worry my dear, I’ve got you. I’ll never let you go.”

____________________________________________________________

 

Liz barely remembered the last few days. Slowly, snippets were coming back. On a case, high-profile criminal, hired doctor, unknown target. Then, a dark room, flashing lights, spinning, fire.

She couldn’t make much sense of the recent memories, but knew that in time, she would. However, one constant that made it through, clear as day, was Red. She knew that he’d saved her, and that he’d also stayed with her as she was kept in the hospital.

She’d heard a couple of nurses whispering a few hours ago, about the man in the fedora, the one that kept an almost constant vigil by her side. As she opened her eyes now, it came as no surprise to see him sitting beside her.

“Hey Red.”

“Lizzie.” Red’s voice was strained with a string of emotions she just couldn’t piece together.

Silence fell for a few minutes, and Liz knew that she couldn’t keep her eyes open for much longer. The medication that the doctors had pumped her full of were really taking their toll. 

“Lizzie,” Red repeated her name like a young boy who was about to come clean to his mother. “I’ve told you more than once that I don’t have friends, only acquaintances.”

Looking her directly in the eye, Red continued, stronger this time.

“I lied. I have one.”

Smiling, Liz felt her eyelids becoming heavy. Before sleep inevitably consumed her for a few hours, Liz replied.

“I know. And Red?”

“Yes, my dear?”

“You’re my friend too."

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, I hope that was pleasing. I just want Red to admit that they're friends, since he's shot her down a few times now. ("Don't be absurd, I don't have any friends." anyone?) Anyway, please leave a comment, I love them all! Thanks for reading!


End file.
